Tools for affixing lids to cup-like containers



Oct. 30, 1962 o. J. BRUUN 3,060,661

TOOLS FOR AFFIXING LIDS T0 CUP-LIKE CONTAINERS Filed May- 16, 1961 2Sheets-Sheet 1 0a. 30, 1962 o. J. BRUUN 3,0

TOOLS FOR AFFIXING LIDS T0 CUP-LIKE CONTAINERS Filed May 16, 1961 2Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Oflfice 3,050,661 Patented Oct. 30,1962 3,060,661 TOOLS FOR AFFG LHDS TO CUP-LEE CONTAINERS Gtto JohannesBruun, The White House, Stoke Park, Slough, England Filed May 16, 1961,Ser. No. 110,559 Claims priority, application Great Britain May 16, 19603 Claims. (Cl. 53-342) This invention relates to apparatus for securingto a container having around its mouth an outwardly projecting flange, alid of deformable sheet material laid across the container mouth withits margin projecting beyond the flange.

The apparatus of the invention operates in the course of a single axialstroke to bend downwardly the projecting margin of the lid to form adepending flange surrounding the container flange, then to bend this lidflange inwardly beneath the container flange, and then to press the lidflange upwardly against the underside of the container flange.

Further features of the invention will appear from the appended claimswhen read in the light of the following description of one particularembodiment of the invention, which is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

In these drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a part-sectional elevation of the apparatus with a containerand lid in position therein;

FIGURES 2 to are fragmentary sectional views, corresponding to parts ofFIGURE 1 but on a larger scale, showing the apparatus container and lidat diflerent stages of the sealing operation.

The particular apparatus illustrated is intended for sealing a cup-likecontainer 1 of roughly truncated conical form open at its upper end andhaving a flange 2 extending horizontally outwards from its rim. This cupis made of rigid material such as tinplate, plastic or the like. The lid3 with which said cup is to be sealed is made of soft metal foil and, asfirst supplied (see FIG- URE 2), is of dished form with a flangeextending horizontally outwards from the rim of the dish. The dishedportion of the lid fits into the mouth of the cup with the horizontalflange of the lid resting flush on the horizontal flange of the cup. Theflange of the lid is wider than the flange of the cup so that the outerportion of the flange of the lid overhangs the flange of the cup.

The sealing machine comprises a horizontal ejector plate 4 of disc formwhich constitutes a platform on which the cup, with the lid loosely inplace thereon, is first stood. Said ejector plate has its surface formedto receive the bottom portion of the cup with a close fit so that saidcup is accurately centered. The ejector plate is mounted on the upperend of a vertical guide rod 5 which passes slidably through a longvertical bearing member 6 carried by a stationary horizontal bottomplate 7. A helical spring 8, which supports said ejector plate andbiasses it upwardly towards a limiting position, is coiled about saidguide rod and is in compression between said ejector plate and saidbottom plate. The bottom portion of said guide rod 5 extends to theunderside of said bottom plate and carries a washer 9, secured by nuts11 which engages the undersurface of said bottom plate and therebylimits the upward movement of said ejector plate and determines itsnormal position. By adjusting said nuts, said normal position isadjusted.

At a level below the top of the cup 1 when the ejector plate 4 is in itsnormal, uppermost position is an annular sealing tool which surroundsthe cup when the ejector plate moves down. This sealing tool comprises afixed annular base plate 11, supported from bottom plate 7 by verticalspacer rods 12, and an annular stop plate 13 fast to the base plate. Theplates 11 and 13 provide a cavity which accommodates a ring dividedradially into a plurality (say six or eight) of arcuate sections 14,which are held together by an annular tension spring 15 against a stop16, formed by an annular shoulder on plate 11. The sections 14 of thering are restrained against axial movement by plates 11 and 13 but canmove radially outwards against the tension of spring 15. The innersurface of the ring sections is flared conically upwards, as shown at17.

The machine also comprises a plunger unit including a plunger 18 whichcan be moved vertically downwards on to said cup and lid. The plunger atits bottom end terminates in a horizontal disc shaped press plate 19,whose underside may have an embossed centre portion fitting into thedish cavity of the lid, the radius of the press plate being equal tothat of the outer edge of the flange of the cup. The plunger unit alsocomprises a vertical prefolding sleeve 20 which slidably surrounds saidpress plate, the inner surface of the lower portion of the sleeve beingflared conically as shown at 21. The prefolding sleeve 20 dependsdownwardly from the edge of an annular disc 22 which is verticallyslidable on plunger 18. A horizontal ring 23 is secured on the plungerand a biasing spring 24 for said prefolding sleeve is coiled around theplunger in compression between ring 23 and disc 22, so that the disc isnormally held flush on said press plate with the flared portion 21 ofthe prefolding tool projecting below the lower surface of the pressplate, as shown in FIGURES 1 to 3.

In operation, with the plunger raised and the ejector plate 4 in itsnormal position, a cup with a lid applied is placed on the ejector plateand the plunger is moved downwardly. During the first part of the strokethe press plate 19 and the prefolding sleeve 20 move as one piecetowards the lid 3 and cup 1, as shown in FIGURE 2. The flared lowerportion 21 of the prefolding sleeve first engages the portion of theflange of the lid which projects beyond the flange of the cup and bendsit progressively downwards and subsequently the cylindrical portion ofthe inner surface of the prefolding sleeve reaches the projectingportion of the flange of the lid and bends it down to the vertical, asshown in FIG- URE 3.

The horizontal undersurface of the press plate now presses down upon theinner portion of the lid flange, thereby forcing downwardly the lid, cupand ejector plate, until (as shown in FIGURE 1) an outer flange 25 onthe prefolding sleeve engages the stop plate 13 which forms part of thesealing tool. Said prefolding sleeve is therefore stopped, but theplunger 18 with its press plate 19 continues to descend and therebyforces the cup and lid and the ejector plate downwards with it. It willbe understood that, at this stage, the spring 24 which biasses theprefolding sleeve and also the spring 8 which biasses the ejector plateare both being compressed.

As the press plate, cup and lid continue descending, the lower edge ofthe now vertical outer portion of the flange of the lid engages theconical surface 17 of the segmental ring 14 and said outer flangeportion is accordingly bent inwards underneath the horizontal flange Zof the cup, to an angle of, say, 45 degrees, as shown in FIGURE 4.Immediately after said outer flange portion of the lid has assumed thisinwardly bent position the cup flange 2 with applied lid is forcedagainst the inner coned surface 17 and thereby, as it continues todescend, expands the segmented ring until the segments 14 are clear ofthe inwardly bent outer portion of the lid flange, so that the containerwith the lid can pass downwardly between the segments. The outer portionof the lid flange then engages the horizontal surface of the base plate11 of the sealing tool and thereby is bent upwardly to the horizontalposition, as shown in FIGURE 5. In this lowermost position of theplunger the three flange layers i.e. the inner portion of the lidflange, the cup flange and the bent under outer portion of the lidflangeare tightly compressed between the press plate 19 and the baseplate 11. Thus a perfect seal between the lid and the cup is effected.

The plunger unit is now returned upwards to its normal position and thesealed cup and lid are raised by the ejector plate to a position suchthat they may be readily removed.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for securing a lid of deformable sheet material to acontainer having an outwardly projecting flange around its mouth bybending the marginal portion of the lid downwardly, inwardly, andupwardly around the flange, said apparatus comprising means forsupporting a container with a lid of sheet material laid over its mouthand projecting beyond the container flange, a prefolding sleevepositioned above the flange and adapted to fit with small clearancearound the flange, a sealing tool positioned below the flange andincluding an expansible ring having an inner surface which tapersdownwardly and a flat horizontal annular base plate positioned below theexpansible ring, and means for producing relative axial movement firstbetween the container with lid loosely applied thereto and theprefolding sleeve, and then between the container and the sealing tool,whereby in the course of a single axial stroke the prefolding sleeveengages the projecting margin of the lid and bends it downwardly to forma depending lid flange, the tapering surface of the expansible ringengages this lid flange and bends it inwardly, the container flangepressing axially upon the tapering surface expands the ring and passestherethrough, and finally the base plate presses the inturned lid flangeagainst the underside of the container flange.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the prefolding sleevesurrounds a press plate for engaging the top of the lid and pressing thelid and container against the sealing tool, the prefolding sleeve beingaxially moveable relative to the press plate against a biassing force,so that it can move clear of the lid flange to allow the sealing tool tooperate.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the sealing tool ismounted in fixed position and there is provided an axially moveablecontainer support which is biassed upwardly to hold the top of thecontainer above the sealing tool, the container being moved down tobring the lid into engagement with the sealing tool by an axiallymoveable press plate which engages the top surface of the lid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,116,068 Gantzer May 3, 1938 2,611,522 Stockburger Sept. 23, 19522,750,094 Magill June 12, 1956 2,974,455 Ravn Mar. 14, 1961

